


And Do I Help Them?

by Sai_Cannopy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU is in Progress, Alternate Universe, Gen, He is Not Who He Seems, can't stop won't stop with these aus, somewhat inspired by Houseki no Kuni and Miss Peregine's Home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 11:24:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14736068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sai_Cannopy/pseuds/Sai_Cannopy
Summary: Riku Kühn is a poor boy living off the many jobs of the streets. He has no family, a few friends, and little to no life outside of work and sleeping. He refuses to join the army, which does shit for the country, but he can't ditch what he calls home. He can't help but hope for a better day, even if he lives near the dumps.Then he finds a sign from the Heaven Door: 50 euro per day for a simple observation job. Easy to take up, and it'll pay more than what he normally makes.But something seems amiss. The subjects seem humane but tortured, and the more curious one named Sora strikes a chord in him. The scientist in charge, Ansem, seems a little off the more he dives deep into these people's story. Perhaps he might find out what this secret is that the man holds over the people of Castle Oblivion, and maybe, just maybe, he might be able to help these poor unfortunate souls.





	And Do I Help Them?

“So you’re the one who applied to be my apprentice.” The scientist looks at him with complete distaste and utter nonchalance before ushering him into the castle. “Quickly! I do not want anything to get in!”

 

The boy barely gets his feet by, the doors slamming right on the soles of his ruined shoes. He fears the idea of having to run and buy new shoes. “I—“

 

“Quiet.” He glares at him harshly and quickly grabs the boy by the arm. “You are to understand two things, boy.

 

"One: you are here only to study. If I ask you to do something, you are to obey it. If I hear a peep of anything here outside, your job is terminated. If even one subject is out of place, I will have your head. If you think that I will handle shit behavior, you might be next on my list of subject candidates.

 

“Two: do not make friends here. If you become a friend to any of these creatures, they will drag you down with their own problems. They might even kill you. Do not believe for a second they will like you or even touch you with a care’s breadth.

 

“If I find that you have broken the most basic rule of science, your job is terminated.” He repeats the first law once more, like he has not made it clear. "If I see that you come on ‘friendly’ terms with the subjects, I might have to replace you. Do you understand,

 

Riku?”

 

Riku nods his head, only taking the last with a grain of salt. He knows he is an awful person, and there is no way one would care for him. “Yes sir.”

 

* * *

 

Riku Kühn was of modest means and from a desperate household. He would do work of any kind, if only his family could pass through winter. He cared for his older brother, who turned to the military to help feed them even if they never saw him again. He loved his grandfather, a mage of the greatest strength yet the weakest body.

 

Riku wishes he could see any one of them once more. See his grandfather come in and yell at them for screwing up a spell again. Laugh as his brother attempts to strangle him for hiding his brush. Cry with his mother over the small little plays his grandfather plays for them.

 

But winter was never going to stop its bitterness at their warmth. So it took them from him.

 

Instead of a decently-warmed home to stay and sleep in, he scurried between alleyways, desperate for a corner to sleep in. He adapted to his ever-starving situation and ate like the rats who crawled on the floor. He still performed and worked and moved, but it was almost like he was living a lie that winter made for him.

 

But then the flyers fly through the winds.

 

_Help Wanted_

_Apprentice Needed_

_Must be able to understand basic English and obey simple instructions_

_Will pay 50 euros per day_

 

From the looks of it, it seems promising. It’ll pay more than what he’s earning at performances, and he might make something big out of this. Perhaps he’ll have a place to stay? No, that’s too promising.

 

“I’ll take it,” the boy whispers, smiling softly as he grasps the poster. He hopes that he’ll make a decent living out of this.

 

* * *

 

The second person Riku meets in this castle combusts in front of him.

 

Ansem is laughing at his reaction, almost as if this is a normal occurrence. It seems stilted, though. “I would like to have my apprentice actually stay this time, Number Eight, so do mind where you turn yourself on fire.”

 

The fire sort of wavers, and Riku swears he can see someone in there. He tries waving, wondering if it or he or whatever will respond. “Hi?”

 

It waves back, making Riku jump and hide behind the elder scientist. There’s some sort of whispering wind echoing the place, like it’s also laughing at him. It heads out, and Riku can’t stop the sigh that leaves him. Ansem’s voice startles him, and he feels his hands tighten on the man’s clothes. “That was Eight. He was born with the ability to combust, and I’ve been seeking to help him control it since he was left here.”

 

As soon as they turn the corner, Riku feels his eyes burn. He can’t see even as he turns away from wherever this source of blinding light is coming from. There’s a click of the tongue, and his source of steadiness leaves him there. “Radiant, I’ve told you once, and I won’t say it again. Do _not_ come out of your room. You’ll blind everyone at this rate.”

 

“Sorry, sorry!” Whoever this subject is yelps out, almost fearful of the punishment to come. “I was curious, and I didn’t mean to harm—“

 

“Just because you didn’t mean to harm someone doesn’t mean you can’t hurt them.” Feet patter away after his scolding. He feels someone tugging on his arm before he can ask more about her. “I am sorry for Radiant’s behavior. She normally isn’t so foolish in her actions. I just hope you aren’t blinded yet.”

 

Riku opens his eyes, just to see if he is okay. For one thing, that blinding light is gone. “I am grateful I am not seeing a giant sun in my face.” That earns him another laugh, which he hopes is a good sign.

 

Ansem shows him the Back, as he so lovingly calls the place the subjects live. It’s basic white and light purples (or perhaps it’s just him trying to add variety to these bland, blinding walls) with a few cages here and there. With the beings he’s just met, Riku finds the cages a little… extra. He just hopes it’s not the equivalent of punishment.

 

There’s a total of twenty rooms, though there doesn’t seem to be that many in the castle. “You can take one for yourself, if you need one,” the scientist gestures to one of the farthest ones, which looks of bad condition. “Excuse the mess, we haven’t had time to clean up.”

 

“No thank you, sir.” Riku feels a little bit of himself leave as he glimpses what seems like charred bits of a corpse. He actually likes his 20-euro, 5-year-old banged up of a home, thank you, and would rather want to die by his stupid, idiotic roommate’s hands.

 

“A shame… I’m sure you would have loved to be in a nice, heated room.”

 

“… Pardon me, sir, but was that a joke?”

 

“Heh, you’ll never know.”

 

* * *

 

Riku literally feels his world flip flop as something crashes into his midback. He really hopes it doesn’t break when he lands; he doesn’t have the money for the hospital. Or _hers_. God, that was an awful experience.

 

“HIYA!” The person shouts into his ear, and Riku counts his blessings that he doesn’t have sensitive ears. “I’m Sora, and I’m soooo happy to see you! So is Kairi and Lea and Roxas and Xion and Demyx and —“

 

“Sora.” Ansem curtly recognizes the boy, who stiffens at the name. “I’m shocked that 8 did not tell you the same thing. I want him _alive_ , not dead from your tricks.”

 

The boy grumbles and pouts, but surprisingly lets go of him. He’s at least kind enough to offer a hand. “You’re no fun.”

 

The scientist starts pushing the boy out, out of this decorated room. Riku would object to the sudden popping in and out of the boy, but he doesn’t want to lose his job on the first day. So instead he watches the boy stubbornly go through the door, waving once more with a loud promise of “I’ll be back!”

 

Once the door shuts, the scientist sighs and slowly slides down the doorframe. “ _He_ is one of the reasons why you don’t befriend the people here. He’s the most dangerous out of all subjects here. I would suggest that he be your number one person to avoid while you work here.”

 

Riku would like to shout “That’s complete and utter bullshit” since he almost got burned, frozen, chopped up, and blinded, but hey, he’s not the scientist nor the person who’s been in charge of this place for years. Or he thinks it’s years. Irregardless, it’s best to keep away from this subject.

 

Again he feels someone tug on his shirt - dirty and mangled and so torn, he’s hoping that with the pay he’ll be able to get a decent one - and his attention turns towards the tugger. Except it’s actually two chi- subjects, one actually clinging onto the other’s coat. They’re definitely scared, and if Riku was an idiot he’d ask why. Instead he says in a stupidly questioning voice, “Hello?”

 

And just like that, they scurry off. Riku can’t stop the sigh that leaves him. What, did they just think he’d not want to introduce himself to them? He has to work with them, and them running off does him no good.

 

Someone coughs behind him, bringing his attention back to Ansem, who looks a little surly now. Probably because the two interrupted him. “Now that you’ve seen… everyone and the entirety that Castle Oblivion has to off, is there any questions that you might have?”

 

Ooo, questions. Riku’s favorite part of jobs. “What exactly do you want me to do here? I see that nothing seems wrong, and in fact some of them seem ready to leave.”

 

Ansem stares at him before giving him a curt laugh that quickly disappears with a glare. “Not a single one of these subjects are to leave this place.” Was that just him, or did the man seem a little possessive there? "Your job is only to observe and record their behaviors. You can do that even without an education, correct?”

 

Riku flinches at the comment and looks down. Instead of chewing the man out for being so condescending, he grits his teeth and nods. Employers always did like obedient dogs; a cat was barely tolerated. “Anything else?” Riku tilts his head, thinking for a bit, before giving a solid “no”. "Good. You may go now.”

 

He doesn’t even get the chance to say goodbye or such, as the tall blue-haired man almost drags him out and through the door. “How rude,” he grumbles as the door slams behind him. “Almost as bad as Grandfather can be.”

 

* * *

 

“So how’s that job going?” Yuffie grins as Riku throws his pillow at his roommate. “Not that good, huh. Already giving them a run for their money?”

 

He sighs dejectedly, knowing the damn girl doesn’t know when to give up. “Yuffie, I was offered a place to stay. If you keep that up I might just take him up on that offer.”

 

Yuffie “aw”s and starts harumphing in mock anger. “You would never do that to me! We’re buddies through and through, right?”

 

“Yeah yeah. Tell that to Leon.”

 

“Hey, he’d back me up unlike _you_.” She sticks her tongue out at him, which he returns back. The teasing stops there, though, and she looks at him with concern. “Are you going to be okay? Nothing dangerous there, right?”

 

Ansem’s warning rings in his head. The combustable man, the constantly-shocked woman, the blinding light of a person, and that boy…. That boy with the gigantic x-shaped scar on his forehead. How could he not be in danger, especially after all the warning signs?

 

But the pay is good, and he has a chance at getting a decent life real quick.

 

So he smiles. It’s probably fake, seeing as he doesn’t smile much these days, but it has to do. “I’ll be fine, Yuf. I’ve been through worse, remember?”

 

Yuffie gives him a sad smile in return, almost as if she knows. Then again, she’s been with him throughout his life on the streets, so she would know him well. “If you say so, Ku."


End file.
